


Love Like Salt

by thorkified



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Family Drama, Fantasy, Fluff and Angst, Love, M/M, Minor Character Death, Not Human!Lucifer, fairytale!au, prince!Sam
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-23
Updated: 2017-10-23
Packaged: 2019-01-21 21:18:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12466128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thorkified/pseuds/thorkified
Summary: King John rules over a beautiful and blooming kingdom, but his time is limited and he needs an heir. To find it, he asks his three sons how much they love him and while the two eldest please him with their answer, his youngest son, Sam, does not. In his anger and rage, he sends his son away, but he is not aware of the consequences or what Sam will find outside of his kingdom. Because Sam finds the love that he was denied by his father in a very unusual place.





	Love Like Salt

**Author's Note:**

> This is written in a fairytale-like narrative, so don't be surprised ^^

Once upon a time there was a king who had three sons and ruled over a very wealthy and beautiful kingdom. His people were happy and so was the royal family, but the king was not the youngest anymore and he knew it was time to choose which of his sons would rule over the kingdom when he would not be there anymore. For many days and nights the king contemplated until he eventually came up with an idea. Knowing that he could only give his kingdom to the most loyal and trustworthy son, he decided to test their love for him. One evening, he called for them to find out.

“My sons,” the king spoke, looking at the three brothers in front of him. “My time will come soon and this kingdom needs a fair and steady king when I am gone. One of you will sit on my throne, but only one.”

The brothers looked worried, as their father rarely spoke like this and they all loved him dearly - thinking about his upcoming death made them all sad. They were very different, both from their personalities and looks, but they all loved their father.

“Dean, my oldest son,” the king spoke and laid a hand on the young man’s shoulder. “How much do you love me?”

“I love you more than all the gold in our kingdom father,” Dean answered, for he was the one of them who cherished his wealth the most.

The king nodded and moved on to the next brother.

“Adam, my bravest son, how much do you love me?”

“I love you more than all the beautiful jewels and gems in our kingdom, father,” Adam answered, for he was obsessed with his jewels and fancy clothing.

The king nodded again, moving on to his last son.

“Sam, my youngest and most beloved son, how much do you love me?”

“Father,” Sam began, not a doubt in his heart about the love for his father. “I love you more than all the salt in the world.”

The king was furious. How dare his youngest son, whom he had always loved and cherished the most, compare his love to him with something as common and cheap as salt? Was his love really that easy to come by, was it really not special at all? Tears built up in Sam’s eyes as he listened to his father speak like this because he knew he had never loved anyone or anything as much as him. Comparing his love for his father with salt was the truth, because it was essential to his life and without it, it would just be blant and boring. But the king didn’t believe him, not even when he begged for him to listen to his words.

“Take your salt with you and leave this kingdom!” the king shouted in his anger and rage. “Take all the salt you can carry, so that you will be with it forever if you love it so much! You will never become king if you value me this low!”

Crying and heartbroken, Sam left his father’s side under the eyes of their shocked servants and his brothers. He never thought that the love of his father was so fragile and conditioned, but he could not take back his words, as they came from his heart and he would rather leave than deny his own love or degrade it.

When Sam was already gone and the king turned around to his two remaining sons, a crystal clear ringing suddenly filled the air and only a moment later a cloud of white smoke appeared in front of the king. He and his sons watched in surprise and wonder how a man emerged from the smoke - like a ghostly figure with a long staff in his hands that he smashed onto the ground, creating a shattering noise that seemed to shake the whole world.

“King John, I have watched your greed and your lack of gratitude for a long time, but now you have gone too far.” The figure pointed his staff at the king’s face, the air around them turning ice cold as he did. “Time and time again you have proven that you cannot value anything in life but riches, now you even turned away the son that loves you most because of it. May every single grain of salt in your kingdom turn to gold from this day on, so you might realize one day that you will find no fulfillment in life if you only care for your gold and wealth.”

Before the king or anyone else was able to say a word, the figure vanished into thin air, only leaving a delicate smoke trail that soon disappeared too. The king laughed and soon his sons and their servants joined, none of them believing a single word the strange figure they could barely make out had spoken.

Sam had not witnessed any of the events in his father’s presence, as he was already leaving the place he had called home for all his life. He couldn’t understand how his father could have said such things, but even though he apparently loved him much less than he thought, Sam’s love for the king was unbroken.

He wandered through the kingdom for many days, sleeping in the forests and eating what he could find on the way, all the while looking for an answer, for a way to show his father that he had been telling the truth. Maybe he could prove to his father somehow that salt was essential to life and that loving him more than it meant loving him more than life itself. But no matter how long he thought, he could not find a way.

When the full moon hung in the sky and Sam rested near a well just after the borders of the kingdom, a small light suddenly appeared in front of his eyes. He blinked confused and sat up, his eyes slowly making out the tiny little figure inside the light. It was a fairy that had come to him.

“Prince, why are you so far away from home?” the fairy asked, curious and nosy as fairies tended to be. Sam sighed and looked at her with sad eyes.

“My father thinks I don’t love him, but I love him so much. He thinks I should love him like my brothers, more than gold and jewels, but I love him more than salt and isn’t salt more important to life than riches?”

“It is!” the fairy answered enthusiastically. “Salt is important!”

“Why does my father not see it then?”

“He is blinded by his wealth,” the fairy said mysteriously and flew a little closer to Sam. “But if he cannot value salt as much as gold, he will never be happy after sending you away. Go to the underworld, prince. You will find your answers there.”

“The underworld?” Sam asked, slightly scared. He had heard many rumors about this place, many stories about the dangers that awaited everyone naive enough to enter it.

“Yes,” the fairy nodded eagerly. “Three days it will take you to get there. Follow this path into the forest until you find an oak with entwined branches. At its roots, you will find a crystal. Take it with you and search for the river that crosses the forest. Once you are there, wait until midnight and throw the crystal into the water while asking for entrance to the underworld. A path will open for you.”

“And I will find answers there, are you sure?” Sam was intrigued, but he knew fairies sometimes enjoyed to trick humans. He did not want to be one of them.

“I am sure,” the fairy nodded again. “You are pure at heart and if your love is unbroken and strong, you will find them there.”

“Thank you for helping me.”

“You will be a good king one day, prince. I believe in you.” With a bright chuckle the fairy twirled mid-air and then disappeared into the night sky without another word.

Sam spent the night near the well and when morning came, he began to follow the path the fairy had showed him. He didn’t know if he would truly find any answers this way, but he would never find out if he didn’t try.

As the fairy had foretold, the path was long and Sam walked on it for two days before finally entering the forest. The oak he was looking for was not far away and at its roots, reflecting the sunlight and shimmering like a rainbow, laid the promised crystal. Sam carefully picked it up and began searching for the river, now more encouraged by his find as it meant the fairy had not lied to him. When he found the river, night was about to fall and he sat down next to it, waiting for the right time.

As he waited, Sam spun the crystal in his hands and admired its beauty. It was almost clear, but not quite, and very big and heavy. It almost looked like there was smoke or clouds trapped inside of it. Curious - and because his hands felt a little strange - Sam licked one of his fingers and noticed that it tasted of salt. A crystal of salt, he did not expect that.

Midnight came - Sam could tell by the position of the moon - and he followed the instructions of the fairy by throwing the crystal into the river.

“I am Sam, the youngest prince of King John’s kingdom, and I request entrance to the underworld.”

At first nothing happened. Sam watched the water flow over the crystal, but other than that nothing had changed. Then the ground beneath him suddenly began moving and he stumbled backwards in surprise. Within a matter of minutes he realized that stairs appeared that led down into the darkness and without hesitating, Sam began his journey into the underworld. The stairs were long and Sam was soon walking through complete darkness, but whenever his foot touched one of the steps they began to shine, helping him find his way deeper and deeper.

After a long time, Sam's feet finally stood on a different surface and he looked around. He had arrived in a huge cave, with what looked like millions of crystals growing out of the walls and floor. The air smelled of the ocean Sam had once visited with his father, salty and rich, but with a hint of earth in it. It was a beautiful place that he would have never expected, but it was not the biggest surprise that was waiting for him.

“Welcome, young prince,” a voice suddenly came from the distance, carried over to Sam crystal clear and eerily haunting. He tried to find the person who spoke, but couldn't make out any details in the darkness. “You have come a long way to find this place.”

“My name is Sam,” Sam introduced himself hesitantly. “I didn't mean to disturb you, but I didn't know where else to go.”

A chuckle filled the air, deep and luring, a sound that reached every part of Sam's body. It was then that a man stepped out of the darkness, a man unlike any other Sam had ever seen in his life. 

He was incredibly pale, almost white - not only his skin, but even his hair and the very elegant clothes he wore. He walked with a cane that he didn't seem to need and radiated a soft light that seemed to surround him completely. His eyes, however, were what mesmerized Sam completely. They were white, like the eyes of a blind man that had once visited the king, but somehow Sam knew this man could see, and there was something else; a light blue circle around his iris that reminded Sam of flowing water and the clear sky at noon. He made a small courtesy when he arrived in front of Sam, the smile on his lips turning the already handsome face into something utterly beautiful. Only now, Sam noticed the delicate markings on the man's skin, like crystals that were growing on him.

“You must be afraid of me,” the man spoke with a hypnotizing, almost crystal like voice. “But I can assure you no harm will come to you in this place.”

“I'm not afraid,” Sam answered slowly, shaking his head. “I just… I've never seen someone like you. I apologize if I was staring.”

The man chuckled again, amused by the humility he was facing.

“I'm not surprised,” he said calmly. “I rarely leave this kingdom, it's mine to protect and humans tend to react very unpleasant to my presence.”

“Your kingdom? Are you… are you a king?”

“No, not yet and not for a very long time,” the man smiled and tilted his head. “My name is Lucifer and I'm commonly known as the salt prince.”

Sam was stunned, but less surprised than he had expected. So, the fairy had been truthful, this was probably the only place he could find answers in.

“Can you help me?” Sam asked a little ashamed, but Lucifer gave him a wonderfully warm smile.

“If it is in my power, I will. I could never send such a fascinating young prince away.”

Sam was relieved and flattered at the same time. Maybe everything would be good in the end now. Lucifer was a very welcoming and interesting man and it was very easy for Sam to talk about why he came to him and what had happened. To his surprise, he soon didn't want to leave anymore. Yes, Sam missed his father and his brothers deeply, but in Lucifer he found an understanding he had never known before. And soon there was much more than just understanding. Soon there was a new love that grew in Sam and for the first time since his father had turned on him, the prince was happy again.

Many months passed and the underworld became Sam's new home. He didn't want to leave Lucifer's side anymore and had found bliss and love in a place he didn't expect; until he received news that made him question his decision. His father had fallen ill and his kingdom was suffering. It broke Sam's heart.

“If you wish to leave and go back to your father, I will not hold you back,” Lucifer promised when Sam told him, a hand cupping the prince's cheek gently. Sam sighed and leaned into the cold and caressing touch he grew to love so much. His bright eyes, which Sam once thought could devour his very soul, were filled with pure adoration for the human. 

“I don't want to leave you, Lucifer,” he said, tears in his eyes at the thought alone. “But he's my father. No matter what he did, I need to be there for him.”

“I know and if you want to, I will accompany you. I won't let anything happen to you, I promise.” Lucifer took one of Sam's hands and pressed a tender kiss on his knuckles to prove his words. When he looked up and their eyes locked, Sam had a weak smile on his lips. “I swore to never leave your side and I won't.”

Drawing strength from their love and the knowledge he wouldn't have to go alone, Sam left the underworld with him. For their travel, Lucifer had put on a long white cloak with a hood to cover his face, which made him appear more like a ghost than ever before. Sam didn't mind, as he knew it was simply to hide that his lover wasn't human.

Four days they traveled until they arrived at the castle - four days in which Sam could see the misery and ruin his beloved kingdom had fallen into. The streets were filled with begging children, hungry and pale and a lot of them visibly sick, and the once so fertile plains that were growing the best crops one could imagine were dried out and dead. It was horrible and hurt Sam's very soul to witness what had happened to this beautiful kingdom. When they passed a rose bush with a single flower on it that wasn't dry, Lucifer picked it and handed it to Sam. In his hands it had turned into salt.

“No matter what will happen, my love for you is as eternal as the beauty of this rose, Sam. None of this is your fault, please don't blame yourself.”

Sam nodded and they continued their way, but he still blamed himself. After all, he had not come back to his father. He had disappointed him and betrayed him for his own selfish wishes - how could he not blame himself?

When they finally arrived at the castle, Lucifer urged Sam to cover his own face with the hood of his cloak before they requested an audience with the king - as travelers from a different kingdom, not as the king's lost son and his lover. His plan unfolded and the two were let in fairly quickly.

As soon as Sam saw his father he wanted nothing more than to run to him, but Lucifer's hand on his shoulder gave him strength. They stepped up to the king and knelt before his throne.

“I have nothing to give you,” the king said, his voice cracking and dry and horribly weak. “Take my crown if you wish to, I have no desire for it anymore.”

“I do not wish to take your crown,” Lucifer spoke, much to Sam's surprise. He looked at him, but the salt prince just winked and continued. “I have come here to ask you for something.”

“And what could you ask of me? Don't you see that my kingdom is dying, that not even those who claimed to love me have stayed with me?”

“I want to ask for your son's hand to be mine,” Lucifer said seriously, to which the king let out a heartbreaking and horrible laugh.

“Which son? The one that betrayed me of all my gold to feed his greed and left his kingdom starving? Or the son that ran away with a prince that promised him all the jewelry in the world but that was nothing more than a liar?” His voice became weak as he continued, making Sam's heart bleed. “Or the son that probably died already with nothing but hate for me in his heart?”

“Father,” Sam said quietly and revealed his face to the king. The old man's eyes were full of disbelief when he stepped closer and knelt down in front of him to take his hand. “There was never anything but love for you in my heart. I apologize for not coming back sooner, I thought you didn't want to see me because you thought I wouldn't love you like I did.”

“Samuel… my wonderful and kind-hearted Samuel…” the king weakly laid a hand on Sam's cheek. “You are not the one who needs to apologize, it's me. I didn't understand when I sent you away, but I do now. Your love was the only one that was truthful and I couldn't see it.”

“You do now, father,” Sam smiled and kissed the king's hand. “I will not leave you again and I will help you bring this kingdom back to its beauty and glory.”

At this, Lucifer stepped forward and revealed his own face. The king's eyes widened a little, but instead of anger what followed was very unexpected.

“You… I knew it would be you,” the king laughed dry. “The salt prince…”

“King John, I know that you have learned modesty and gratefulness, but this isn't my doing,” Lucifer said. “We mean no harm to your kingdom and we never have, I have solely come here for the question I've asked. Everything else is my father's doing.”

“Is that true?” the king asked and Sam nodded slowly.

“I am as surprised as you are, but he is truthful, father,” Sam mumbled. “I know you will not be happy about it, but I love him. I didn't mean to disappoint you but -”

“Stop it, now,” the king said and smiled weakly. “Sam, all I ever wanted was your happiness and I have been a fool to ever doubt your honesty and loyalty.”

“Father, don't…”

“No, Sam. I will be gone soon and I won't die before you know that I'm sorry and that I never stopped loving you. If he makes you happy, then I will give you my blessing.”

“Thank you, father…” Sam wiped a tear out of his eyes and pressed his cheek against the back of the king's hand. “I never stopped loving you either.”

“Your mother would have been so proud of you, Sam. As proud as I am.”

The king passed away that night, but not before giving the crown to Sam, his most loved and loyal son. The new king mourned his father's death for a long time, but with the support and love from Lucifer he managed to stay strong for his people. Together, they brought wealth and glory back to the kingdom and soon it was widely known that the kingdom ruled by King Samuel and the Salt Prince was a place of happiness. But the happiest of all were Sam and Lucifer, because they shared a love so deep that it couldn't be destroyed by anything. 

**Author's Note:**

> This story was inspired by one of my favorite childhood fairytales, The Salt Princess. Adapted slightly to fit of course ^^ I hope you enjoyed it.


End file.
